Device for picking or stripping peanuts from the vine



(No Model.)

J. T. STEWART. DEVICE FOR PIGKING 0R STRIP PING PEANUTS FROM THE VINE.

No. 460,667. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

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JOHN T. STElVART, OF BATTLEBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA.

DEVICE FOR PICKING OR STRIPPING PEANUTS FROM THE VINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,667, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed June 20, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN THoMAs STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battleborough, in the county of Nash and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Picking or Stripping Peanuts from the Vine; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a device for picking or stripping peanuts from the vine; and it has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for the purpose, which will be light and portable, which will greatly expedite the stripping of the peanuts from the vine, and which, so far as the cost of the device is concerned, will be within the reach of persons of most limited financial means.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists, essentially, of a frame provided with means for supporting the vine and permitting the peanuts to depend therefrom, and a series of stripping-fingers constructed and arranged so that as the vine is moved over said frame the peanuts which are pendent therefrom will be brought against the under side of said fingers, While the vine will pass to the other side and the stems or the portions thereof to which the peanuts are directly attached will pass between said fingers, whereby as the vine is moved on the peanuts are stripped from the vine and fall into a suitable receptacle provided therefor, while the vine and trash separated from the peanuts are moved away from the frame.

' The invention consists, further, in the construction and the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in Which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section on the line 00 a: of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detail sectional view of a portion of the device, illustrating one means of tightening the supporting-wires. In the drawings, the letter A designates a Serial No. 396,941. (Nomodel-l frame made of wood or other suitable material and composed of longitudinal side pieces B, intermediate cross-pieces C, and tie-rods D, extending from one side to the other and strongly binding the parts together. The preferred dimensions of this frame are two feet six inches wide by three feet six inches long; but it may be of any other dimension and may be otherwise constructed than as described, although it is preferred to construct it as already described. This frame is provided with a grated surface composed, preferably,of a series of strips or wires E, extending lengthwise of the frame and placed at suitable distances apart, so that the strips or wires will constitute a support for the vines,

while the peanuts mayhang down in and bc-.

low the spaces between the wires. These strips or wires can be secured to the frame in any suitable manner-for instance, by twisting the ends of the wire around pins F ex,- tending from the two cross-pieces O, as illustrated. Suitable means may be employed for tightening these strips or wires, as occasion or necessity may require. One mode may be by means of pins G entering the cross-pieces O and having the ends of the wires connected thereto, so that as the pin isturned the Wire will be wound around the same, and any slack in the wire will be taken up. These pins may be formed with an angular head, as illustrated in Fig. 3, for the application of a wrench by which to turn the pins, and if desired the heads may be formed with an opening a for the insertion of any suitable pin by which to form a handle by means of which to turn the tightening-pin. The preferred mode, however, is to make tapering, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the mortises formed in the side pieces B for the reception of one of the cross-pieces C, so that said cross-piece may have a swinging motion back and forth. The mortises preferably taper from top to bottom, so that the freest movement will be allowed at the upper end of the cross-piece. Under such construction when the wires are to be applied the cross-piece is moved inwardly, and after the ends of the Wires have been secured to their fastening-pins the cross-piece is moved outwardly or straightened, thereby taking up the slack in the wires. Vedges I will then be forced into the mortises, so as to force back the cross-piece and hold it firm, so that the wires will be kept tight. It is obvious that the farther the wedge is driven down the greater the tension put upon the wires.

Beneath the grated top of the frame, formed by the strips or wires, there is arranged a series of fingers or teeth J. These teeth are formed of metal or any other suitable material, and preferably are fourteen and a half inches in length, more or less, with their upper ends pointed and deflected or bent at an angle to the length of the teeth for a distance of about two and one-half inches (more or less) from the point backwardly. The teeth are preferably one inch in width, and are set so that there will be a space of threeeighths of an inch between them from their lower ends up to where they deflect. The foregoing dimensions are given merely as an illustration of what I have found to be the best dimensions for the most satisfactory work; but the dimensions may be varied without departing from the invention. These teeth or fingers are preferably set at an inclination, asillustrated, and at a distance from the rear cross-piece C, so as to leave a space between them and the rear cross-piece. The fingers may be secured in place in any suitable manner; but I prefer to attach them at their lower ends by means of screws K, or otherwise, to crossbar L, having an inclined face on which the fingers are seated. This cross-bar extends from one side of the frame to the other, and is securely held to the frame by means of bolts M passed through said side pieces and bar. The points or bent ends of the fingers or teeth lie under the wires E, and the spaces between the pointed and bent ends of the fingers converge from the points of the fingers backward, where they merge into the spaces between the shanks of the fingers, the two spaces being designated, respectively, by the letters N and 0.

To the forward end of the frame there is secured a platform P, on which the vines are laid as they are taken from the ground.

In operation the device is set on a wagonbody or other suitable support with a suitable receptacle below the frame. The workman or operator takes hold of the vines lying upon the platform P and draws them over the grated surface of the frame, the vines resting upon the strips or wires which form that surface, while the peanuts hang from the vines and extend down below the wires. As the operator draws the vines to the rear the main portion of the vines arecarried over and back of l the fingers or teeth, while the stems or portions of the vines to which the peanuts are directly attached pass into the spaces between the fingers or teeth,with the peanuts dangling below, and as the fingers form an obstruction to the farther passage of the peanuts it is asparent that the peanuts must be stripped from off the vines and be directed downward into the receiving-receptacle below,while the vines are carried backward over the wires and discharged to the rear of the frame.

The device constructed as described is very efficient in stripping the peanuts from the vine. It works equally well on both green and dry peanuts. It is portable. It is not liable to get out of repair, and, being inexpensive to construct, it is within the reach, financially, of all persons.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. The within described peanut stripper, composed of a frame provided with a series of strips or wires arranged at distances apart to support the vine and allow the peanuts to hang between and below the strips or wires, and a series of fingers or teeth arranged below the strips or wires and having spaces between them for the passage of the vines to one side thereof, while the peanuts are directed to the other side and stripped from the vines, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a peanut-stripper, the combination, with the frame, of a series of strips or wires arranged at distances apart to support the vines andpermit the peanuts to pass between said wires, and a series of fingers or teeth arranged beneath the wires with spaces between them and provided with bent and pointed ends, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a peanut-stripper, the combination, with the frame supporting a series of strips or wires arranged at distances apart, of the series of inclined fingers or teeth arranged to leave spaces between their shanks and having pointed ends to form spaces converging from the ends of the fingers backwardly to the space between the shanks, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a peanut-stripper, the combination,- with the frame and the series of wires, of the cross-piece having one end of said wires secured thereto and fitting into vertical wedgeshaped inortises formed in a portion of the frame, said mortises permitting said crosspiece to be oscillated back and forth therein, and means for forcing said cross-piece in one direction to take up the slack in the wires and tighten the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OIIN T. STEWART.

lVitnesses:

ALFRED T. GAGE, EwnLL A. DICK. 

